Walk a While, Just Another Mile

I refused to plug my ears or play a vintage number. It was going to be my inaugural walk on an unfamiliar road. The decision had been taken off the cuff. There were no Google Maps to guide me. Just a stark, lonely road that lay ahead. The safest bid would have been to hang on, to stay where I was. Treading unfamiliar paths is often counted as a phenomenal error of judgement. Over years, certain roads are ear-marked for travel. Any sort of detour is perceived as a harbinger of trouble.

And yet, I was determined to “walk a while” on an alien passage. The tried and tested ways were alluring with fool-proof strategies and sure-shot destinations. But my heart wouldn’t give in to them. So, without looking back for a moment I started to walk.

You can’t simply freewheel on all roads. Sometimes, the rides are bumpy and journeys bone shattering. I was beginning to gather my share of turbulence. In that moment, several thoughts crossed my mind. I could return to my base. Yes, I might be scorned at with, ‘ we told you so…’ dictum. But at least I would be in a safe haven. I also had another choice. To hang on where I was. Over a period of time, we acclimatize ourselves to our surroundings and the tough only becomes seemingly tough then. But being still, I thought, was as good as being lifeless.

Moving on was the only plausible choice. For what is a ride without a few misadventures! So, I thought, let me… just another mile.

I resumed my journey and had barely covered a distance of a few metres when I met someone, just like me. Companionship is like early morning dew. It leaves you damp just when you are all scorched and dry. The two of us walked together for a while. I was beginning to hear the music along the road. The birds had their own song, so did the swishing wind and rustling leaves. This, of course, didn’t mean that there were no more speed bumps, but I had begun to enjoy this walk.

I was soon joined by a few more people for a while. We formed a great circle before they began to splutter and scatter. Some of them had another dream and others chose a different path altogether, while for some the journey ended mid-way. Each time a companion would choose to leave, I would dog ear the chapter of their life, for it wasn’t over for me; it had just passed into memory.

I was now at the end of my journey, but the zenith was still a distant dream. I had begun to think of life at the junction which I had left way behind. Had I chosen to stay on, things might have been different. Had I jeopardized my chances of a “happily ever after” by embarking on this journey?

I didn’t have the answers. Who has them, after all?

All I knew was that I had dared to walk a while, just another mile.

This post is part of Blogchatter’s AtoZChallenge. The other posts in this series may be read here.

Amazing metaphor, Sonia. This post touched somewhere. Had to read it twice.
“Each time a companion would choose to leave, I would dog ear the chapter of their life, for it wasn’t over for me; it had just passed into memory.”
This sentence… so beautiful…
Find my W post @ 14 Water-Rich Vegetables That Help You Stay Hydrated in Summers

How beautifully you have described the journey! This post made me feel a ton of things – reflect on old memories, make plans for vacations, realize how the metaphor about life being a journey becomes truer as we grow up. Thanks for making my head all wooly! 😛